Spreadable creams are common in the market and include, for example, cocoa hazelnut creams (e.g. Nutella®) and peanut butter type spreads. Such products are highly appealing to consumers, especially children, and are very much used in the preparation of a tasty breakfast or a snack food.
However, many spreadable creams (or spreads) of the prior art suffer from a number of drawbacks. First of all, they are highly caloric. The market-leading cocoa-hazelnut spread in Italy has about 530 Kcal per 100 g of product. This product has a high fat content, typically 31 g per 100 g of product, of which 10 g are saturated fats and a very high sugar content, about 57 g per 100 g of product. Peanut butter has about 590 Kcal per 100 g and a fat content of about 50 g per 100 g of which 10 g are saturated fats.
On the other hand, the average consumer is becoming increasingly health-conscious and demanding as regards the nutritional quality of food and, as a consequence, tends to favor nutritionally wholesome foods, in particular those having a low calorie, low fat, in particular low saturated fat, and/or a relatively high fiber (or dietary fiber) composition. This is even more the case with regards to foods targeted for children.
The consumer is becoming particularly concerned, for example, about the fat composition profile of foods, and tends to favor low-fat foods and/or foods that contain a high ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are, in fact, known to be linked to heart disease. Typical sources of saturated fatty acids are notoriously animal fats, as well as some vegetable fats, such as palm oil and coconut oil.
The health-conscious consumer also tends to prefer the presence of vegetable oils/fats over animal fats as the former contain no cholesterol. Hypercholesterolemia is associated, in fact, with cardiovascular disease (linked to the development of atheroma in the arteries).
Also, a high-fiber diet is known to be linked to health benefits, such as decreased absorption of cholesterol, a lower risk of cancer, lower rise in blood glucose, to mention a few.
However, food products, in particular confectionery products such as spreadable creams, that are low in fats, in particular saturated fats, and in calories, tend to have poor texture and taste and therefore are not appealing to the consumer.
There is therefore a need in the field for a spreadable cream that is appetizing, but also nutritionally wholesome.
The technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore that of making available a shelf-stable spreadable cream that is comparatively low in calorie content and saturated fatty acids, while exhibiting optimal organoleptic characteristics, comparable or even superior to the conventional spreadable creams of the prior art.
A further technical problem underlying the present invention is that of making available such a shelf-stable spreadable cream which is relatively rich in micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.
A further technical problem underlying the present invention is that of making available such a shelf-stable spreadable cream which is substantially free of or low in trans fatty acids and cholesterol.